Bush tax cuts Rubio Charlie Crist Scott Brown Congressional Budget Office
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Mike Castle Will Not Run as a Write-In/KTUU Initially Identified Craciun as a Murkowski Adviser
The news out of Delaware tonight is that Mike Castle will not run as a write-in candidate. This sounds like bad news for Christine O'Donnell but the last Rasmussen poll only found Castle winning 5% as a write-in candidate. O'Donnell was actually winning independents even if you assume all of Castle's indy support in the poll goes to Coons. The biggest reason for optimism in this race is not only O'Donnell's war chest but the fact that she can get back into this race just by consolidating the conservative/Republican vote. She's performing about as well as she would need to among Democrats and independents to make this a race. She has room to grow simply by winning back more of her base of support.Also, here's what the MSM is not reporting about the hilarious Craciun poll. KTUU initially identified the pollster as a Murkowski adviser and then changed how it identified her without providing any justification for the change. KTUU now seems to refer to her as a Murkowski supporter. I don't see any justification for KTUU to change its characterization of the pollster from "adviser" to "supporter" if the only justification was that Craciun or Murkowski claimed she wasn't an adviser. The word of Murkowski or any of her supporters means little to successful and reasonable people who aren't corrupt.So what's going on today? The Governor will reportedly speak in Atlanta on November 9th.
President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts, 9/29/10
Release Time:
For Immediate Release
WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key administration posts:
Paula Barker Duffy, Member, National Council on the Humanities
Isabel Framer, Member, Board of Directors of the State Justice Institute
Susan H. Hildreth, Director, Institute of Museum and Library Services
Thomas R. Nides, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Department of State
Alan Patricof, Member, Board of Directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation
Jo Ann Rooney, Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Department of Defense
Michael Vickers, Under Secretary for Intelligence, Department of Defense
Martha Wagner Weinberg, Member, National Council on the Humanities
President Obama said, “The extraordinary dedication and outstanding achievement these men and women bring to their new roles will greatly serve the American people. I am grateful they have agreed to serve in this administration and I look forward to working beside them in the months and years to come.”
President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key administration posts:
Paula Barker Duffy, Nominee for Member, National Council on the Humanities
Paula Barker Duffy is the former Director of the University of Chicago Press, the nation’s largest university press. She previously served as publisher of the Free Press, best known for its books in the social sciences and public affairs, and as vice president of its parent company, Simon and Schuster, New York. Ms. Duffy currently serves on the boards of the Great Books Foundation and Valid Sources, Inc., and advises the Cultural Policy Center at the University of Chicago. She holds a B.A. in French Literature from Smith College and an M.B.A. from Harvard University.
Isabel Framer, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the State Justice Institute
Isabel Framer is the founder and principal partner of Language Access Consultants, LLC. Since 1998, Ms. Framer has worked as a consultant to defense attorneys, prosecutors, law enforcement, state and federal government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice, and advocacy firms on language access for Limited English Proficient communities in the court system. She is a state court-certified judiciary interpreter and has been qualified as an expert witness in court proceedings regarding language access and interpreter standards. Ms. Framer is also a lead consultant for the Asian and Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence, helping to train attorneys and advocates on interpretation for domestic violence victims. She has served on several boards and advisory committees, including the Supreme Court of Ohio's Advisory Committee on Interpreter Services, the Ohio Judicial Appointments Recommendation Panel, the Ohio Commission on Latino Affairs, and the Racial Fairness Project in Cleveland. Ms. Framer was also a board member of the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators from 2003 to 2009, serving as chair from 2007 to 2009.
Susan H. Hildreth, Nominee for Director, Institute of Museum and Library Services
Susan H. Hildreth is the city librarian of The Seattle Public Library. She was previously appointed as California’s state librarian by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Prior to her position as California state librarian, Ms. Hildreth was at the San Francisco Public Library, where she served as deputy director and then city librarian. Her background also includes five years as deputy library director at the Sacramento Public Library, several years as Placer County's head librarian and four years as library director for the Benicia Public Library, all in California. She began her career as a branch librarian at the Edison Township Library in New Jersey. Ms. Hildreth is active in the American Library Association and served as president of the Public Library Association in 2006. She has a master's degree in library science from State University of New York, a master's degree in business administration from Rutgers University and a bachelor of arts, cum laude, from Syracuse University.
Thomas R. Nides, Nominee for Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Department of State
Thomas R. Nides is the Chief Operating Officer of Morgan Stanley. He is an executive officer and serves as a member of Morgan Stanley’s Management Committee and Operating Committee. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Mr. Nides served for one year as Worldwide President and Chief Executive Officer of Burson-Marsteller, one of the largest public relations agencies in the world. From 2001 to 2004, Mr. Nides was Chief Administrative Officer of Credit Suisse First Boston, and served on the firm’s Executive Board. Mr. Nides has also served as Chief of Staff to the United States Trade Representative, Executive Assistant to the Speaker, Assistant to the Majority Whip of the United States House of Representatives and Senior Vice President of Fannie Mae. Mr. Nides is a graduate of the University of Minnesota.
Alan Patricof, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation
Alan Patricof is the Managing Director and Founder of Greycroft, LLC, a venture capital firm, with offices in New York and Los Angeles, focused on the digital media sector. Prior to founding Greycroft in 2006, Mr. Patricof was the founder and chairman of Apax Partners, Inc. (formerly Patricof & Co. Ventures, Inc.). From 2007–2010, Mr. Patricof was on the board of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and from 1993 to 1995, he served as Chairman of the White House Conference on Small Business Commission. He is also a board member of TechnoServe, Trickle Up Program, Global Advisory Board of Endeavor, and the Initiative for Global Development Leadership Council. Mr. Patricof holds a B.S. in Finance from Ohio State University and an M.B.A. from Columbia University Graduate School of Business.
Jo Ann Rooney, Nominee for Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Department of Defense
Jo Ann Rooney currently serves as the President of Mount Ida College in Massachusetts. She previously served as President of Spalding University in Kentucky for eight years. Prior to her time at Spalding University, Dr. Rooney spent several years as Corporate General Counsel, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of The Lyons Companies, located in Massachusetts. Since 1994, Dr. Rooney has taught courses at several colleges and universities in strategic planning, financial management, leadership and organizational change. She has served as Vice Chair of the Jewish Hospital Saint Mary’s Healthcare System, Chair of the Housing Partnership, Inc., a state-wide affordable housing development and counseling organization, and the Board of Trustees and executive committee of Regis University in Denver, Colorado. Dr. Rooney holds an Ed.D in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania, an LL.M from Boston University School of Law, a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School and B.S. from Boston University.
Michael Vickers, Nominee for Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, Department of Defense
Michael Vickers currently serves as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict & Interdependent Capabilities. He was nominated for this position by President Bush and was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. President Obama announced that Mr. Vickers would continue to serve as ASD (SO/LIC&IC) in the Obama administration. Mr. Vickers serves as the senior civilian advisor to the Secretary of Defense on the operational employment and capabilities of special operations forces. He is also the senior civilian adviser on counterterrorism, irregular warfare and special activities. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Vickers served as Senior Vice President, Strategic Studies, at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. Prior to that, Mr. Vickers served as an Army Special Forces Non-Commissioned Officer, Special Forces Officer, and CIA Operations Officer. During this period, Mr. Vickers had operational and combat experience in Central America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Central and South Asia. Mr. Vickers received his B.A., with honors, from the University of Alabama, an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a Ph.D. in International Relations/Strategic Studies from Johns Hopkins University.
Martha Wagner Weinberg, Nominee for Member, National Council on the Humanities
Martha Wagner Weinberg is a consultant who has worked extensively with non-profit entities on issues of policy, strategy, leadership, and program design. She previously served as Chief of Staff at Massachusetts General Hospital and was Vice President for Project Management and Chief of Staff at Partners Healthcare System at its founding in 1995. Ms. Weinberg advised the Rappaport Charitable Foundation when it established Harvard’s Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston and Suffolk University’s Rappaport Honors Program in Law and Public Policy. Formerly a professor of political science at MIT, she is the author of Managing the State, co-editor with Walter Dean Burnham of American Politics and Public Policy, and the author of articles on leadership in the private and public sectors. Ms. Wagner received her Ph.D. from Harvard, her M.A. from the University of Wisconsin, and her B.A. from Smith.
For Immediate Release
WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key administration posts:
Paula Barker Duffy, Member, National Council on the Humanities
Isabel Framer, Member, Board of Directors of the State Justice Institute
Susan H. Hildreth, Director, Institute of Museum and Library Services
Thomas R. Nides, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Department of State
Alan Patricof, Member, Board of Directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation
Jo Ann Rooney, Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Department of Defense
Michael Vickers, Under Secretary for Intelligence, Department of Defense
Martha Wagner Weinberg, Member, National Council on the Humanities
President Obama said, “The extraordinary dedication and outstanding achievement these men and women bring to their new roles will greatly serve the American people. I am grateful they have agreed to serve in this administration and I look forward to working beside them in the months and years to come.”
President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key administration posts:
Paula Barker Duffy, Nominee for Member, National Council on the Humanities
Paula Barker Duffy is the former Director of the University of Chicago Press, the nation’s largest university press. She previously served as publisher of the Free Press, best known for its books in the social sciences and public affairs, and as vice president of its parent company, Simon and Schuster, New York. Ms. Duffy currently serves on the boards of the Great Books Foundation and Valid Sources, Inc., and advises the Cultural Policy Center at the University of Chicago. She holds a B.A. in French Literature from Smith College and an M.B.A. from Harvard University.
Isabel Framer, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the State Justice Institute
Isabel Framer is the founder and principal partner of Language Access Consultants, LLC. Since 1998, Ms. Framer has worked as a consultant to defense attorneys, prosecutors, law enforcement, state and federal government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice, and advocacy firms on language access for Limited English Proficient communities in the court system. She is a state court-certified judiciary interpreter and has been qualified as an expert witness in court proceedings regarding language access and interpreter standards. Ms. Framer is also a lead consultant for the Asian and Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence, helping to train attorneys and advocates on interpretation for domestic violence victims. She has served on several boards and advisory committees, including the Supreme Court of Ohio's Advisory Committee on Interpreter Services, the Ohio Judicial Appointments Recommendation Panel, the Ohio Commission on Latino Affairs, and the Racial Fairness Project in Cleveland. Ms. Framer was also a board member of the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators from 2003 to 2009, serving as chair from 2007 to 2009.
Susan H. Hildreth, Nominee for Director, Institute of Museum and Library Services
Susan H. Hildreth is the city librarian of The Seattle Public Library. She was previously appointed as California’s state librarian by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Prior to her position as California state librarian, Ms. Hildreth was at the San Francisco Public Library, where she served as deputy director and then city librarian. Her background also includes five years as deputy library director at the Sacramento Public Library, several years as Placer County's head librarian and four years as library director for the Benicia Public Library, all in California. She began her career as a branch librarian at the Edison Township Library in New Jersey. Ms. Hildreth is active in the American Library Association and served as president of the Public Library Association in 2006. She has a master's degree in library science from State University of New York, a master's degree in business administration from Rutgers University and a bachelor of arts, cum laude, from Syracuse University.
Thomas R. Nides, Nominee for Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Department of State
Thomas R. Nides is the Chief Operating Officer of Morgan Stanley. He is an executive officer and serves as a member of Morgan Stanley’s Management Committee and Operating Committee. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Mr. Nides served for one year as Worldwide President and Chief Executive Officer of Burson-Marsteller, one of the largest public relations agencies in the world. From 2001 to 2004, Mr. Nides was Chief Administrative Officer of Credit Suisse First Boston, and served on the firm’s Executive Board. Mr. Nides has also served as Chief of Staff to the United States Trade Representative, Executive Assistant to the Speaker, Assistant to the Majority Whip of the United States House of Representatives and Senior Vice President of Fannie Mae. Mr. Nides is a graduate of the University of Minnesota.
Alan Patricof, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation
Alan Patricof is the Managing Director and Founder of Greycroft, LLC, a venture capital firm, with offices in New York and Los Angeles, focused on the digital media sector. Prior to founding Greycroft in 2006, Mr. Patricof was the founder and chairman of Apax Partners, Inc. (formerly Patricof & Co. Ventures, Inc.). From 2007–2010, Mr. Patricof was on the board of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and from 1993 to 1995, he served as Chairman of the White House Conference on Small Business Commission. He is also a board member of TechnoServe, Trickle Up Program, Global Advisory Board of Endeavor, and the Initiative for Global Development Leadership Council. Mr. Patricof holds a B.S. in Finance from Ohio State University and an M.B.A. from Columbia University Graduate School of Business.
Jo Ann Rooney, Nominee for Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Department of Defense
Jo Ann Rooney currently serves as the President of Mount Ida College in Massachusetts. She previously served as President of Spalding University in Kentucky for eight years. Prior to her time at Spalding University, Dr. Rooney spent several years as Corporate General Counsel, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of The Lyons Companies, located in Massachusetts. Since 1994, Dr. Rooney has taught courses at several colleges and universities in strategic planning, financial management, leadership and organizational change. She has served as Vice Chair of the Jewish Hospital Saint Mary’s Healthcare System, Chair of the Housing Partnership, Inc., a state-wide affordable housing development and counseling organization, and the Board of Trustees and executive committee of Regis University in Denver, Colorado. Dr. Rooney holds an Ed.D in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania, an LL.M from Boston University School of Law, a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School and B.S. from Boston University.
Michael Vickers, Nominee for Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, Department of Defense
Michael Vickers currently serves as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict & Interdependent Capabilities. He was nominated for this position by President Bush and was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. President Obama announced that Mr. Vickers would continue to serve as ASD (SO/LIC&IC) in the Obama administration. Mr. Vickers serves as the senior civilian advisor to the Secretary of Defense on the operational employment and capabilities of special operations forces. He is also the senior civilian adviser on counterterrorism, irregular warfare and special activities. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Vickers served as Senior Vice President, Strategic Studies, at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. Prior to that, Mr. Vickers served as an Army Special Forces Non-Commissioned Officer, Special Forces Officer, and CIA Operations Officer. During this period, Mr. Vickers had operational and combat experience in Central America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Central and South Asia. Mr. Vickers received his B.A., with honors, from the University of Alabama, an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a Ph.D. in International Relations/Strategic Studies from Johns Hopkins University.
Martha Wagner Weinberg, Nominee for Member, National Council on the Humanities
Martha Wagner Weinberg is a consultant who has worked extensively with non-profit entities on issues of policy, strategy, leadership, and program design. She previously served as Chief of Staff at Massachusetts General Hospital and was Vice President for Project Management and Chief of Staff at Partners Healthcare System at its founding in 1995. Ms. Weinberg advised the Rappaport Charitable Foundation when it established Harvard’s Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston and Suffolk University’s Rappaport Honors Program in Law and Public Policy. Formerly a professor of political science at MIT, she is the author of Managing the State, co-editor with Walter Dean Burnham of American Politics and Public Policy, and the author of articles on leadership in the private and public sectors. Ms. Wagner received her Ph.D. from Harvard, her M.A. from the University of Wisconsin, and her B.A. from Smith.
Rubio Charlie Crist Scott Brown Congressional Budget Office Michael Steele
Governor Palin Champions Team America
Have you ever watched a boxing match, a basketball game, or even a swim meet--any intense competition? Competitors gear up, take to the ring, the court, or the pool, and prepare to give their best effort. Their preparation is intense and their hopes high. The goal is simple: win.
Real competitors--and I know because I'm one--don't usually embrace the "it's not whether you win or lose but how you play the game" concept, which was probably invented by some kid's parent to make his child feel better after getting destroyed on the court. Real competitors don't snuggle up to "remember, it's just a game." As I told the first basketball team I ever coached, "You want to play a game, go play checkers. Here, we play basketball!" By the way, "Play for fun"? Not on my team; I learned very early on that there just ain't no fun in losing! So real competitors play to win. They step up to the challenge with a sense of focus and an intent to be victorious, to never let down, to refuse to succumb to any amount of pressure.
That's the plan, but as admirable as this "never let 'em see you sweat" ideal is--as familiar as it is to those of us who have ever left it all out on the court, or the field, or wherever--the truth is that as the competition progresses, the legs lose their lift, the arms lose some flex, and the body simply loses speed. This becomes the reality no matter the intent. Yes, the good ones find a way to dig deep, but even still, they are affected--if not conquered--by fatigue that comes from taking the punches, the bangs, and the bruises. It's common. It's human nature. It's life.
Then there are the competitors who are otherworldy. They defy nature. There's nothing common about them. They never stop moving. They never stop being on the offensive. They handle every defense thrown at them. They're not just good; they're special. In the world of basketball, Michael Jordan was one such athlete. So was Cynthia Cooper. Today, it's Kobe Bryant. These type of people come along very rarely in a lifetime. They set their eyes on a target and nothing short of tying them down and locking them up will keep them from getting out there and being competitive.
Governor Palin is one such person. This was the case long before we ever knew who she was. As a basketball player, she played on a broken ankle. As a business owner, she fished with a broken hand, as documented by Joe Hilley. As a mother, she was back on the job within three days of giving birth. Each time there was work to be done, and sitting it out just wasn't an option. "No pain, no gain," as they say. So real competitors say, "Bring it on!"
All these years later, not much, if anything, has changed. The Governor is a person who absorbs punch after punch and rides wave after wave, without seeming to lose the slightest bit of strength or effectiveness in the process. With all she's been put through, she continues on--and never misses a beat. After every attack, there she is--still moving forward, still swinging, and the thing that drives the Left the craziest, still smiling. She is like that champion who simply cannot be defeated because she won't throw in the towel. Nevermind the full-court press, the dirty fouls, the low blows, the attempts to drown her in a sea of lies. Governor Palin won't sit on the end of the bench and hide. She simply won't take a breather. Thus, she wears out her opponents, who simply cannot keep up.
This is why she is so hated by the Left. They've tried it all. Nothing works. How does one defeat an opponent who won't go away, who can't be annihilated? She is to them what nightmares consist of: an enemy that cannot be destroyed no matter the tactic employed. To those who oppose fiscal responsibility, the Constitution, national security, and American exceptionalism, I have this to say: "be afraid; be very afraid!"
Every time it appears they've got her backed in a corner, she takes the non-traversy, redefines it, and refuses to be sidetracked by it: They point out that she wrote on her hand--and she draws attention to the President's teleprompter and continues to use her own "poor man's teleprompter." They misquote her as saying she can see Russia from her house--and she reminds them that she can also see November from there. They use her title as a means to shackle her--and she steps away, proving she doesn't need a title to make a difference. They even move in next door--and she does something the feds should be doing in our border states: she builds a fence. She even follows up enjoying watching her daughter perform on Dancing with the Stars with a scathing tweet about Pete Rouse a couple hours later. Nothing, absolutely nothing, extinguishes her determination to keep the main thing the main thing. And that's why they'll never defeat her, and that's why they hate her.
Governor Palin's endorsements will continue to matter, her fundraising will skyrocket all the more, and she will remain a powerful force to be reckoned with because she cannot be conquered. From anonymous campaign staffers to cowardly Journolisters, from attacks on her family to crime at her church, from insane boob-gate to asinine boo-gate, she withstands each impact, and then releases another smackdown Facebook note like nothing ever happened. While continuing to smile, it's as if she says, "Is this the best you've got?"
These are crucial times, and much is at stake. That's why people who have never been involved politically are suddenly mobilized and mobilizing others. I coached for years, and never did I build a game strategy around a bench warmer, an injured athlete, or a spectator. No, those leading the charge will be hardest hit. And who has been hit harder than the Governor? Who would ever blame her if she packed it in and went home to the state she loves, the family who loves her, and the life they once knew? But isn't this what the Left wants? The fact that she won't do it is what they can't figure out. They stay awake at night contemplating why she isn't succumbing to the pressure, why she isn't pulling her jersey to sit out the fourth quarter, why she isn't in a fetal position on the hardwood floor, waiting for it all to end. They have no answer for her stamina, and she has no intentions to cave.
Every once in a while a competitor emerges with superb skill, undivided focus, and an unbending spine. These are the franchise players. Everyone is gunning for them, yet they never choke. They'll never be accused of going halfway, nothing will keep them from being out there where and when it matters, and they always find the strength to push past the limitations that constrain regular people. That's because they're not regular people. They're real competitors with a special something that drives them. Governor Palin has those championship qualities.
Governor Palin is working hard to take us where we need to go--back to common sense principles and practical solutions. Her refusal to be sidetracked will keep the target on her back. The Left's inability to knock her out of the race will only infuriate them more and make them more desperately seek new ways to cause her harm. If what we've seen so far is any indication, however, we can be sure that she will continue to take what they throw at her, handle it with grace, and fight like a Grizzly for the future of Team America. And like every real competitor--every champion--she'll win. And we'll win with her.
Real competitors--and I know because I'm one--don't usually embrace the "it's not whether you win or lose but how you play the game" concept, which was probably invented by some kid's parent to make his child feel better after getting destroyed on the court. Real competitors don't snuggle up to "remember, it's just a game." As I told the first basketball team I ever coached, "You want to play a game, go play checkers. Here, we play basketball!" By the way, "Play for fun"? Not on my team; I learned very early on that there just ain't no fun in losing! So real competitors play to win. They step up to the challenge with a sense of focus and an intent to be victorious, to never let down, to refuse to succumb to any amount of pressure.
That's the plan, but as admirable as this "never let 'em see you sweat" ideal is--as familiar as it is to those of us who have ever left it all out on the court, or the field, or wherever--the truth is that as the competition progresses, the legs lose their lift, the arms lose some flex, and the body simply loses speed. This becomes the reality no matter the intent. Yes, the good ones find a way to dig deep, but even still, they are affected--if not conquered--by fatigue that comes from taking the punches, the bangs, and the bruises. It's common. It's human nature. It's life.
Then there are the competitors who are otherworldy. They defy nature. There's nothing common about them. They never stop moving. They never stop being on the offensive. They handle every defense thrown at them. They're not just good; they're special. In the world of basketball, Michael Jordan was one such athlete. So was Cynthia Cooper. Today, it's Kobe Bryant. These type of people come along very rarely in a lifetime. They set their eyes on a target and nothing short of tying them down and locking them up will keep them from getting out there and being competitive.
Governor Palin is one such person. This was the case long before we ever knew who she was. As a basketball player, she played on a broken ankle. As a business owner, she fished with a broken hand, as documented by Joe Hilley. As a mother, she was back on the job within three days of giving birth. Each time there was work to be done, and sitting it out just wasn't an option. "No pain, no gain," as they say. So real competitors say, "Bring it on!"
All these years later, not much, if anything, has changed. The Governor is a person who absorbs punch after punch and rides wave after wave, without seeming to lose the slightest bit of strength or effectiveness in the process. With all she's been put through, she continues on--and never misses a beat. After every attack, there she is--still moving forward, still swinging, and the thing that drives the Left the craziest, still smiling. She is like that champion who simply cannot be defeated because she won't throw in the towel. Nevermind the full-court press, the dirty fouls, the low blows, the attempts to drown her in a sea of lies. Governor Palin won't sit on the end of the bench and hide. She simply won't take a breather. Thus, she wears out her opponents, who simply cannot keep up.
This is why she is so hated by the Left. They've tried it all. Nothing works. How does one defeat an opponent who won't go away, who can't be annihilated? She is to them what nightmares consist of: an enemy that cannot be destroyed no matter the tactic employed. To those who oppose fiscal responsibility, the Constitution, national security, and American exceptionalism, I have this to say: "be afraid; be very afraid!"
Every time it appears they've got her backed in a corner, she takes the non-traversy, redefines it, and refuses to be sidetracked by it: They point out that she wrote on her hand--and she draws attention to the President's teleprompter and continues to use her own "poor man's teleprompter." They misquote her as saying she can see Russia from her house--and she reminds them that she can also see November from there. They use her title as a means to shackle her--and she steps away, proving she doesn't need a title to make a difference. They even move in next door--and she does something the feds should be doing in our border states: she builds a fence. She even follows up enjoying watching her daughter perform on Dancing with the Stars with a scathing tweet about Pete Rouse a couple hours later. Nothing, absolutely nothing, extinguishes her determination to keep the main thing the main thing. And that's why they'll never defeat her, and that's why they hate her.
Governor Palin's endorsements will continue to matter, her fundraising will skyrocket all the more, and she will remain a powerful force to be reckoned with because she cannot be conquered. From anonymous campaign staffers to cowardly Journolisters, from attacks on her family to crime at her church, from insane boob-gate to asinine boo-gate, she withstands each impact, and then releases another smackdown Facebook note like nothing ever happened. While continuing to smile, it's as if she says, "Is this the best you've got?"
These are crucial times, and much is at stake. That's why people who have never been involved politically are suddenly mobilized and mobilizing others. I coached for years, and never did I build a game strategy around a bench warmer, an injured athlete, or a spectator. No, those leading the charge will be hardest hit. And who has been hit harder than the Governor? Who would ever blame her if she packed it in and went home to the state she loves, the family who loves her, and the life they once knew? But isn't this what the Left wants? The fact that she won't do it is what they can't figure out. They stay awake at night contemplating why she isn't succumbing to the pressure, why she isn't pulling her jersey to sit out the fourth quarter, why she isn't in a fetal position on the hardwood floor, waiting for it all to end. They have no answer for her stamina, and she has no intentions to cave.
Every once in a while a competitor emerges with superb skill, undivided focus, and an unbending spine. These are the franchise players. Everyone is gunning for them, yet they never choke. They'll never be accused of going halfway, nothing will keep them from being out there where and when it matters, and they always find the strength to push past the limitations that constrain regular people. That's because they're not regular people. They're real competitors with a special something that drives them. Governor Palin has those championship qualities.
Governor Palin is working hard to take us where we need to go--back to common sense principles and practical solutions. Her refusal to be sidetracked will keep the target on her back. The Left's inability to knock her out of the race will only infuriate them more and make them more desperately seek new ways to cause her harm. If what we've seen so far is any indication, however, we can be sure that she will continue to take what they throw at her, handle it with grace, and fight like a Grizzly for the future of Team America. And like every real competitor--every champion--she'll win. And we'll win with her.
John Boehner Speaker Pelosi stimulus bill recession Rick Santorum
Evening Open Thread
Ian is tied up this evening, so here's what I've got:Joe Miller and Bristol are scheduled to appear on Greta tonight at 10pm ET.Hannity announced this afternoon that Gov. Palin will be joining him on radio tomorrow.Sissy Willis notes that Bristol Palin is following in her mother's footsteps, embracing and exploiting social media in new ways.Geoff over at Ace has a nice take down of the Bristol restaurant-gate story.What else is going on this evening?
President Barack Obama Announces Presidential Delegation to Bremen, Germany to Attend the 20th Anniversary of German Unity
President Barack Obama today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to Bremen, Germany to attend the 20th Anniversary of German Unity on October 3, 2010.
The Honorable General James L. Jones, USMC (Ret), National Security Advisor to the President, will be the head of the delegation.
Members of the Presidential Delegation:
The Honorable Philip D. Murphy, U.S. Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany
The Honorable Robert Hormats, Under Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs
The Honorable General James L. Jones, USMC (Ret), National Security Advisor to the President, will be the head of the delegation.
Members of the Presidential Delegation:
The Honorable Philip D. Murphy, U.S. Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany
The Honorable Robert Hormats, Under Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu to Block Obama's Budget Director Nominee
Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) said Thursday she would block Jack Lew's nomination for White House budget director until the administration lifts its moratorium on deep-water oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Landrieu wrote that while she believes Lew is qualified to serve as head of the Office of Management and Budget, he lacks "sufficient concern for the host of economic challenges confronting the Gulf Coast."
Landrieu has been an outspoken opponent of the drilling moratorium, which she says has a negative impact on the economy of her home state.
"Due to the administration's unwillingness to reverse or modify its policy that has halted all deep-water and nearly all shallow-water energy exploration, I cannot in good conscience allow this nomination to proceed until I receive a commitment from Mr. Lew, the president or another senior economic advisor to reverse these policies, which have been so detrimental to working families across the Gulf Coast," Landrieu wrote.
The administration put a six-month hold on deep-water drilling in May, weeks after the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that sent crude pouring into the Gulf for months. The moratorium is set to expire Nov. 30.
Kenneth Baer, communications director for the White House budget office, said it was critical that Lew be confirmed quickly in order to fill the position left empty since Peter Orszag stepped down in July.
"Jack Lew has received overwhelming, bipartisan support from senators across the spectrum in both committees," Baer wrote in an e-mailed statement. "Especially during this critical time in our economy and in our fiscal situation, the Senate should move quickly to vote on his confirmation before it recesses at the end of the month."
Under congressional rules, a lone senator can block a nominee from advancing to the Senate floor
Read Landrieu's letter here.
Ernie in Harlem: Leave Sarah Palin Alone!
A caller on the Rush Limbaugh Show expresses his frustration with the way Governor Palin is treated by fellow Republicans:
putin Blagojevich financial regulations Tony Hayward bill clinton
John Kerry Gets It Right
Related: The Polarization of Sarah Palin
ethics charges washington bureaucrats John Kerry George Will George Bush
Read-out of President Obama's meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev
President Obama met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in New York today to discuss issues of shared interest and ways to further strengthen relations between our two nations.
President Obama expressed his appreciation for Azerbaijan’s contributions to supporting the ISAF mission in Afghanistan. He reaffirmed strong U.S. support for the OSCE Minsk Group process to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the ceasefire along the Line of Contact and stressing the need to find a peaceful solution based on the Helsinki principles of non-use of force or threat of force, territorial integrity, and the equal rights and self-determination of peoples. The leaders also discussed regional security issues and ongoing energy cooperation.
In the context of President Obama’s speech at the UN yesterday, he expressed his hope that Azerbaijan as a young democracy would implement democratic reforms and increase protections for human rights, including by releasing two jailed bloggers. The President noted that strong institutions contribute to fostering economic growth and stability in Azerbaijan and both leaders expressed a desire to develop closer ties between our two countries.
President Obama expressed his appreciation for Azerbaijan’s contributions to supporting the ISAF mission in Afghanistan. He reaffirmed strong U.S. support for the OSCE Minsk Group process to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the ceasefire along the Line of Contact and stressing the need to find a peaceful solution based on the Helsinki principles of non-use of force or threat of force, territorial integrity, and the equal rights and self-determination of peoples. The leaders also discussed regional security issues and ongoing energy cooperation.
In the context of President Obama’s speech at the UN yesterday, he expressed his hope that Azerbaijan as a young democracy would implement democratic reforms and increase protections for human rights, including by releasing two jailed bloggers. The President noted that strong institutions contribute to fostering economic growth and stability in Azerbaijan and both leaders expressed a desire to develop closer ties between our two countries.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Greta Van Susteren Previews Tonight?s On the Record with Palin and Limbaugh
Here is a preview:We have a great show planned tonight ON THE RECORD at 10p/1a ET. Rush Limbaugh, who rarely (almost never?) does television, joins us ? as well as Governor Sarah Palin and others. There is much to talk about and the difficult part for us on OTR at 10p is how to decide what to talk to these newsmakers about. Tea Party movement? Midterm elections? Taxes? Health care? President Clinton on the campaign trail taking a few swipes at the Republicans? And, of course, there is always the ?what if?? What if the Republicans win in November? What if the Democrats win in November? What if so and so runs for president. You get my point ? there is no shortage of topics with these guests. The only problem is that we wish we had more time with them. Perhaps you have some ideas of what you would like to ask them? If so, go to http://www.gretawire.com and post your ideas. I am putting up a blog posting just for you for that purpose.
Michelle Obama Sean Hannity Glenn Beck Rush Limbaugh Hillary Clinton
Third-party Bids, Write-ins Might Tip Close Races
WASHINGTON ? Whether they are sore losers or never-say-die patriots, third-party candidates threaten to tip a handful of congressional and gubernatorial races to contenders who otherwise might have lost this fall.
Nine-term Rep. Mike Castle of Delaware is the third prominent Republican to consider a third-party bid this year after a suffering a stinging setback at the hands of tea-party-backed conservatives.
If Castle decides to make an independent run for Senate, he will join Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski in refusing to let GOP primary voters force them into retirement.
While Crist, Murkowski and Castle are well-known politicians, many third-party campaigns are lonely, low-budget affairs with little hope of winning more than 2 or 3 percent of the vote. But in extremely tight races, that could be enough to swing the outcome between the Democratic and Republican nominees.
In several cases, Democrats hope to benefit from third-party campaigns by conservatives with tea party ties, who threaten to pull votes from the Republican nominees.
That's the hope of two hard-pressed House Democrats in Virginia, Tom Perriello and Glenn Nye. Their well-financed GOP opponents failed to persuade one or more of their unsuccessful Republican rivals from mounting independent campaigns, which conceivably could siphon away enough conservative votes to sink the GOP nominee.
Third-party candidates rarely win, but they're sometimes successful "in pulling the rug out from under the nominee" who defeated them in the party primary, said Ross K. Baker, a Rutgers University political scientist. "They're disgruntled primary losers, and they want revenge," he said.
Among the nation's most famous, or infamous, third-party efforts was Ralph Nader's 2000 presidential bid. He won enough liberal votes in Florida to keep Democrat Al Gore from carrying the state and becoming president.
Connecticut voters elected third-party candidates Lowell Weicker as governor and Joe Lieberman as senator, but few other Americans have matched their success.
This year's most visible third-party campaigns are being mounted by prominent Republicans who fell victim to tea party-backed candidates who labeled them as too accommodating to Democrats.
Crist left the Republican Party in April when it became clear that Marco Rubio, a tea party favorite, would win the party's Senate nomination. Republican officials hope Crist's independent campaign will pull about as many votes from Democrat Kendrick Meek as from Rubio. That probably would lead to a Rubio win, unless Crist can take huge numbers from both rivals.
More recently, Murkowski, who lost the Alaska GOP nomination to tea party favorite Joe Miller, has launched a write-in campaign to try to keep the seat she has held since 2002. Political insiders say the effort probably will fail, as has every Senate write-in campaign since 1954.
But it's hard to predict whether Murkowski would pull more votes from Miller or from Democrat Scott McAdams, leaving Miller's front-runner status slightly in doubt.
On Friday, top GOP officials were urging Castle to drop the notion of a write-in campaign after his stunning loss to insurgent conservative Christine O'Donnell in the Senate primary.
"I just think write-ins are long shots," said Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, head of the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee. "As chairman of a party committee, it is our responsibility to support the nominee, the choice of the primary voters, and that's what we're going to do."
Some third-party candidates are hurting Democrats as well. A Green Party candidate in Arkansas is likely to take votes from Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln, who is trailing Republican John Boozman in polls.
In House races, Republicans hope to benefit from a Hispanic independent candidate who might pull votes from Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Calif. In a Michigan race, a tea party candidate and a Green Party candidate might essentially cancel each other out in Democratic Rep. Mark Schauer's re-election battle against Republican Tim Walberg.
Third-party candidates also are affecting governors' races. In Colorado, Republicans say anti-immigrant crusader Tom Tancredo killed the party's already slim hopes in the open gubernatorial contest by running as an independent this fall.
In Massachusetts, independent Timothy Cahill vows to stay in the gubernatorial race despite the resignations of two top staffers. Some Republicans worry that he will hurt GOP challenger Charles Baker's effort to oust Gov. Deval Patrick, D.
In Minnesota, Tom Horner, a moderate former Republican, is running an impressive independent bid for the open governor's seat. He trails Democrat Mark Dayton and Republican Tom Emmer in polls, but both see Horner as a possible threat. Minnesotans elected independent Jesse Ventura as governor 12 years ago.
Texas Republican Gov. Rick Perry is favored to win re-election on Nov. 2, but supporters are keeping a wary eye on Libertarian candidate Kathie Glass. A strong showing by her might help Democrat Bill White.
Rhode Island's gubernatorial race features two prominent third-party candidates: independent Lincoln Chafee, a former GOP U.S. senator; and Moderate Party candidate Ken Block. The Republican nominee is John Robitaille, and the Democrat is Frank Caprio.
Elsewhere, long-shot third-party candidates conceivably could cause headaches for Republican Senate nominee Roy Blunt in Missouri and Sen. David Vitter, R-La.
Finally, the oddest of alternative choices could swing the intensely watched Senate race in Nevada, where Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is fighting for his political life against Republican Sharron Angle, a tea party favorite.
Nevada voters can choose "none of the above" on their ballots. Democrats think a number of voters who dislike Reid will find Angle too extreme and inexperienced, and they will choose "none of the above" to register their discontent.
If enough voters do so, it just might hand Reid a fifth term.
� Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Family Research Council: "Palin Isn?t Just Politicking, She is Institution-Building"
From the Family Research Council blog:Aside from the Tea Party phenomena itself ? the most important political development this election cycle involves Sarah Palin. It hasn?t received much press. Sarah Palin is changing the Republican Party and making it decidedly more pro-life....Palin is doing this by endorsing pro-life candidates only, and she is endorsing excellent female candidates. If Carney is correct ? these politicians like Carly Fiorina in California will be decidedly more conservative on all issues. But, after several election cycles there may be a cadre of pro-life women in office who will reshape the debate about abortion. And, this goes to show that Palin isn?t just politicking, she is institution-building.
Pakistani The View gubernatorial candidate Howard Dean ethics charges
Presidential Proclamation--Gold Star Mother?s and Families? Day
In a long line of heroes stretching from the greens of Lexington and Concord to the mountains of Afghanistan, selfless patriots have defended our lives and liberties with valor and honor. They have been ordinary Americans who loved their country so profoundly that they were willing to give their lives to keep it safe and free. As we pay tribute to the valiant men and women in uniform lost in battle, we also recognize the deep loss and great strength of those who share in that ultimate sacrifice: America's Gold Star Mothers and Families.
For those in our Armed Forces who gave their last full measure of devotion, their loved ones know the high cost of our hard won freedoms and security. An empty seat at the table and missed milestones leave a void that can never be filled, yet the legacy of our fallen heroes lives on in the people they loved. Their exceptional spirit of service dwells in the pride of Gold Star parents, who instilled the values that led these brave men and women to service. It grows in the hearts of their children, who know that, despite their absence, they gave their lives so others might be free. And, it echoes in the enduring love of their spouses the backbone of our military families who supported the person they cherished most in the world in serving our Nation. Though our Gold Star families have sacrificed more than most can ever imagine, they still find the courage and strength to comfort other families, support veterans, and give back to their communities.
It is from these examples of unwavering patriotism that we witness the values and ideals for which our country was founded, and for which America's sons and daughters have laid down their lives. As members of a grateful Nation, we owe a debt we can never repay, but hold this sacred obligation forever in our hearts, minds, and actions.
The Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 115 of June 23, 1936 (49 Stat. 1895 as amended), has designated the last Sunday in September as "Gold Star Mother's Day."
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Sunday, September 26, 2010, as Gold Star Mother's and Families' Day. I call upon all Government officials to display the flag of the United States over Government buildings on this special day. I also encourage the American people to display the flag and hold appropriate ceremonies as a public expression of our Nation's sympathy, support, and respect for our Gold Star Mothers and Families.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fourth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
BARACK OBAMA
For those in our Armed Forces who gave their last full measure of devotion, their loved ones know the high cost of our hard won freedoms and security. An empty seat at the table and missed milestones leave a void that can never be filled, yet the legacy of our fallen heroes lives on in the people they loved. Their exceptional spirit of service dwells in the pride of Gold Star parents, who instilled the values that led these brave men and women to service. It grows in the hearts of their children, who know that, despite their absence, they gave their lives so others might be free. And, it echoes in the enduring love of their spouses the backbone of our military families who supported the person they cherished most in the world in serving our Nation. Though our Gold Star families have sacrificed more than most can ever imagine, they still find the courage and strength to comfort other families, support veterans, and give back to their communities.
It is from these examples of unwavering patriotism that we witness the values and ideals for which our country was founded, and for which America's sons and daughters have laid down their lives. As members of a grateful Nation, we owe a debt we can never repay, but hold this sacred obligation forever in our hearts, minds, and actions.
The Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 115 of June 23, 1936 (49 Stat. 1895 as amended), has designated the last Sunday in September as "Gold Star Mother's Day."
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Sunday, September 26, 2010, as Gold Star Mother's and Families' Day. I call upon all Government officials to display the flag of the United States over Government buildings on this special day. I also encourage the American people to display the flag and hold appropriate ceremonies as a public expression of our Nation's sympathy, support, and respect for our Gold Star Mothers and Families.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fourth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
BARACK OBAMA
Gulf of Mexico jeremiah wright Castro illegal immigrant Pakistani
Structural Factors
A constant refrain from the pundit elite this midterm has been how different things could be if only the President had been able to "connect." If only the President -- like Reagan, or Clinton -- had more charismatically or effectively communicated his economic plan... If only the President had struck a nerve with the electorate...
Salon's Steve Kornacki explains how the "failed to connect" myth fails to really explain:
It's tempting -- really, really tempting -- to watch Bill Clinton on television these days and to say, "Gee, the Democrats would be much better off right now if he were in the White House instead of Barack Obama"...
Clinton, pundits are now telling us, embodies the magic formula that Obama is missing...
This is true, but only to a point. Yes, Clinton was -- and is -- one of the most effective communicators the Democratic Party has ever produced. But his gift for persuasion had sharp and clear limits while he was president, and when he was faced with a political climate like the one Obama now confronts, it was utterly useless... In short, Bill Clinton was Bill Clinton in the 1994 midterms -- and his party still got massacred...
And when the dust settled, the political world -- Republicans, Democrats and the media -- was united in one conclusion: Clinton was a goner in 1996. The country had tuned him out. He had lost his ability to "connect."
His experience is well worth keeping in mind now. We like to think that personality, message and campaign tactics are what define elections -- that the good politicians are the ones who put all of this together in a way that trumps structural factors like the economy. But that's just not how it works. Clinton's words -- no matter how masterfully crafted and articulated -- fell on deaf ears in 1994, just as Obama's are mostly falling on deaf ears today. It was only when favorable structural factors were again present that Clinton began "connecting" again.
No matter how masterfully crafted or articulated. Voters aren't responding to a lack of polished message or even a rejection of the ideas that do reach them. They aren't embracing the GOP or their economic "plan." There is even some evidence that they don't think Democrats have gone far enough with reform. So how is Obama losing them?
The "structural factors" influencing the feelings of voters this election are as much about the perception that Washington is broken, and that Democrats can't get it done in the face of Republican obstruction (another way in which the GOP was succeeding in 1994) as they are about high unemployment.
2010 won't be 1994 again for the Democrats, but to change the political climate, the President and House Democrats need to get in and fight for legislation, bold legislation. Ironically, a small GOP majority in the House might make that happen faster.
Salon's Steve Kornacki explains how the "failed to connect" myth fails to really explain:
It's tempting -- really, really tempting -- to watch Bill Clinton on television these days and to say, "Gee, the Democrats would be much better off right now if he were in the White House instead of Barack Obama"...
Clinton, pundits are now telling us, embodies the magic formula that Obama is missing...
This is true, but only to a point. Yes, Clinton was -- and is -- one of the most effective communicators the Democratic Party has ever produced. But his gift for persuasion had sharp and clear limits while he was president, and when he was faced with a political climate like the one Obama now confronts, it was utterly useless... In short, Bill Clinton was Bill Clinton in the 1994 midterms -- and his party still got massacred...
And when the dust settled, the political world -- Republicans, Democrats and the media -- was united in one conclusion: Clinton was a goner in 1996. The country had tuned him out. He had lost his ability to "connect."
His experience is well worth keeping in mind now. We like to think that personality, message and campaign tactics are what define elections -- that the good politicians are the ones who put all of this together in a way that trumps structural factors like the economy. But that's just not how it works. Clinton's words -- no matter how masterfully crafted and articulated -- fell on deaf ears in 1994, just as Obama's are mostly falling on deaf ears today. It was only when favorable structural factors were again present that Clinton began "connecting" again.
No matter how masterfully crafted or articulated. Voters aren't responding to a lack of polished message or even a rejection of the ideas that do reach them. They aren't embracing the GOP or their economic "plan." There is even some evidence that they don't think Democrats have gone far enough with reform. So how is Obama losing them?
The "structural factors" influencing the feelings of voters this election are as much about the perception that Washington is broken, and that Democrats can't get it done in the face of Republican obstruction (another way in which the GOP was succeeding in 1994) as they are about high unemployment.
2010 won't be 1994 again for the Democrats, but to change the political climate, the President and House Democrats need to get in and fight for legislation, bold legislation. Ironically, a small GOP majority in the House might make that happen faster.
Blagojevich financial regulations Tony Hayward bill clinton Juan Williams
"27% of Self-identified Gay and Lesbian Voters Chose John McCain and Sarah Palin in 2008"/Open Thread (Update)
What's going on today? In case you missed it, make sure you read this important message from SarahPAC. Here's the news on this sleepy Sunday:-"27% of self-identified gay and lesbian voters chose John McCain and Sarah Palin in 2008. That?s a figure that translates to roughly 1.7 million gay votes for McCain/Palin." I suspect the number will be even higher with Palin at the top of the ticket in 2012.-Consider the 20 Republicans on the "Take Back the 20" website to be Palin endorsements. I'll predict that 16 of them win. The website has a cool feature that shows you who their Democrat Party opponents are as well.-One of her "Take Back the 20" candidates, Tom Marino, leads phony "conservative Democrat" Chris Carney despite the fact that Carney has 70 times the amount of cash on hand as Marino. Palin and McCain won 54% of the vote in this district.-Here's a long American Thinker piece titled "Going (More Than) Rogue: Sarah Palin and the Pink Elephant in the Room."-ET has more with Governor Palin on Monday. Here's more with Bristol.-The Lubbock newspaper prints an editorial titled "We'd be better off with tea-party types in charge." Governor Palin is scheduled to visit Lubbock.-Regardless of what the delusional Mike Murphy has to say, this is bad news for Meg Whitman. It's still too early to draw a conclusion about the Boxer-Fiorina race. Carly hasn't spent anywhere near the amount of money that Whitman has spent and she has a much weaker opponent than Jerry Brown.-Nate Silver says that a Castle write-in bid "could actually improve Ms. O?Donnell?s chances of winning by taking more of Mr. Coons?s vote than hers." I think Silver's calculation is flawed. I think he's understating how popular Castle is with Delaware Democrats and how popular O'Donnell has become with Delaware Republicans. I see O'Donnell winning 75% of Republicans while Castle winning a third of Delaware Democrats.-Wasn't Mitch Daniels the talk of DC just about a month ago? Now it's John Thune? In any event, both guys are welcome in the race as they will just help Governor Palin by splitting the very small moderate/center-right vote. Here is what he had to say about Palin in that Weekly Standard cover story. Peter Hamby thinks it's just a trial balloon. Hopefully it isn't.-How delusional is Lisa Murkowski? She claims that the Alaska Rasmussen poll was good for her. "Murkowski said she?s buoyed by a Rasmussen poll that showed her trailing Miller by 15 points and roughly even with Democrat Scott McAdams."Make sure you check out Conservatives4Congress for updates on the "Take Back the 20" races. Nicole and Kelsey do a terrific job with that site. Also, bookmark Organize4Palin to find out how you can best help all Palin-endorsed candidates. Governor Palin tweeted her support of Organize4Palin on Friday.Update: Allen West's pollster has the following message: "Republican primary voters are, by and large, conservatives. But more importantly they are Republicans because they are conservatives and they want to nominate candidates who share this hierarchy of values. They are rejecting candidates who are conservative, if at all, only because they are Republicans. Our advice to those hungrily eying New Hampshire and Iowa and to those incumbents facing re-election in 2011 or 2012, get right with conservatism."Update II by Doug: Obama's net job approval in the Real Clear Politics average has reached a new low of 6.7%.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Presidential Proclamation--National Hunting and Fishing Day
As Americans, the bond we have with our land is traceable to our earliest ancestors and etched into the character of our Nation. From the rocky shoals of New England to the rugged mountains of the West, the natural beauty and great diversity of our open spaces draw millions to the outdoors every year for sport, play, and relaxation. On National Hunting and Fishing Day, we recognize the Americans who engage in these timeless pursuits, and we reaffirm our commitment to conserving our native lands, waters, and wildlife for generations to come.
Like President Theodore Roosevelt -- an enthusiastic hunter and a great conservationist -- hunters and anglers value stewardship, often leading efforts to ensure the protection of our Nation's wildlife, habitats, and waterways. President Roosevelt understood that conservation was essential to preserving our hunting and fishing heritage, and during his Presidency established the first units of the National Wildlife Refuge System to sustain the outdoor traditions many Americans enjoy today. We recognize, as President Roosevelt did over a century ago, that we must champion the conservation of our lands, and those who know them well -- the individuals who hunt and fish -- must endeavor to be their consummate guardians.
Conservation takes on even greater importance today as our lands, waters, and wildlife face threats from global climate change, loss of habitats, and environmental disasters. The abundance of our wilderness is not limitless and needs protection and restoration. To ensure America's wild spaces remain healthy and accessible for all to enjoy, outdoorsmen and women can continue to participate in innovative programs such as the Federal Duck Stamp Program to protect and restore our natural legacy. This includes rebuilding and safeguarding our fragile Gulf ecosystem, where the unique and beautiful bounty of waterfowl, fish, and other game confront exceptional hardships.
Following in the footsteps of President Roosevelt and other conservationists, my Administration is dedicated to fostering a national conversation about 21st-century conservation that embraces a broad coalition of Americans, including hunters and anglers. Through my America's Great Outdoors Initiative, we have heard from sportsmen and women across our country about the value of hunting and fishing, the challenges to wildlife conservation, and how the Federal Government can be a better partner for conservation. My Administration established the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council to enlist the efforts of the sporting community, wildlife conservation organizations, States, and Native American tribes to uphold our Nation's wildlife heritage and to meet the conservation challenges of our time. We added over 4 million acres to the Conservation Reserve Program this year to provide important wildlife habitats, and we have taken specific steps to benefit gamebirds in this program. In addition, we are providing millions of dollars to the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program, a new effort to encourage hunting, fishing, and other recreational activities on privately owned land.
Our ability to enjoy our land and wildlife today is a tribute to the character of conservationists who have come before us. On National Hunting and Fishing Day, we celebrate the time-honored traditions of hunting and fishing, as well as the preservation of America's vast natural resources, as we seek to protect them for centuries to come.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 25, 2010, as National Hunting and Fishing Day. I call upon all Americans to observe this day with appropriate programs and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fourth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
BARACK OBAMA
Like President Theodore Roosevelt -- an enthusiastic hunter and a great conservationist -- hunters and anglers value stewardship, often leading efforts to ensure the protection of our Nation's wildlife, habitats, and waterways. President Roosevelt understood that conservation was essential to preserving our hunting and fishing heritage, and during his Presidency established the first units of the National Wildlife Refuge System to sustain the outdoor traditions many Americans enjoy today. We recognize, as President Roosevelt did over a century ago, that we must champion the conservation of our lands, and those who know them well -- the individuals who hunt and fish -- must endeavor to be their consummate guardians.
Conservation takes on even greater importance today as our lands, waters, and wildlife face threats from global climate change, loss of habitats, and environmental disasters. The abundance of our wilderness is not limitless and needs protection and restoration. To ensure America's wild spaces remain healthy and accessible for all to enjoy, outdoorsmen and women can continue to participate in innovative programs such as the Federal Duck Stamp Program to protect and restore our natural legacy. This includes rebuilding and safeguarding our fragile Gulf ecosystem, where the unique and beautiful bounty of waterfowl, fish, and other game confront exceptional hardships.
Following in the footsteps of President Roosevelt and other conservationists, my Administration is dedicated to fostering a national conversation about 21st-century conservation that embraces a broad coalition of Americans, including hunters and anglers. Through my America's Great Outdoors Initiative, we have heard from sportsmen and women across our country about the value of hunting and fishing, the challenges to wildlife conservation, and how the Federal Government can be a better partner for conservation. My Administration established the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council to enlist the efforts of the sporting community, wildlife conservation organizations, States, and Native American tribes to uphold our Nation's wildlife heritage and to meet the conservation challenges of our time. We added over 4 million acres to the Conservation Reserve Program this year to provide important wildlife habitats, and we have taken specific steps to benefit gamebirds in this program. In addition, we are providing millions of dollars to the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program, a new effort to encourage hunting, fishing, and other recreational activities on privately owned land.
Our ability to enjoy our land and wildlife today is a tribute to the character of conservationists who have come before us. On National Hunting and Fishing Day, we celebrate the time-honored traditions of hunting and fishing, as well as the preservation of America's vast natural resources, as we seek to protect them for centuries to come.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 25, 2010, as National Hunting and Fishing Day. I call upon all Americans to observe this day with appropriate programs and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fourth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
BARACK OBAMA
stimulus bill recession Rick Santorum Chris Dodd Sharron Angle
Pew polls
Here's a fascinating breakdown of the Independent voters, in regards to their make-up and their voting patterns over the past few cycles, done by Pew.
I wish that Pew would do another Mapping of the Political Landscape. The 2005 Political Typology is the fourth, following on previous studies in 1987, 1994 and 1999. They are certainly due.
Back to their most recent, and some findings:
The proportion of independent voters or non-partisans is now at 37%, one of the highest levels in the past 20 years of Pew Research Center polling. The share of independent voters has grown from 34% of registered voters in 2008.
The Democratic Party?s advantage in party identification among registered voters has narrowed from a 10-point gap last year to a five-point gap in 2010 as Democrats have lost adherents and the Republican Party has gained supporters.
There has been little change in voting intentions over the course of the year. Registered voters have been closely divided in their preferences, while Republicans have enjoyed an advantage among voters most likely to cast a ballot in November.
As in previous midterms, older independents are more likely to vote Republican than are voters younger than 50, and independent men are much more inclined to cast a GOP ballot than they were four years ago.
Obama?s job approval rating among independent voters stands at just 39%; 50% disapprove of the president?s job performance. Still, Obama?s rating among independent voters is higher George W. Bush?s in September 2006 (29% approve/57% disapprove).
I hear or read all the time, about folks that say that Obama's numbers will turn around once the economy does. Thing is, these are the same folks that were saying that his numbers (and the underlying fate of the Democrats) would turn around once they passed the corporate healthcare reform this past Spring. Funny how that happens. Always wrong; always a reason to compromise one more time; never works.
I wish that Pew would do another Mapping of the Political Landscape. The 2005 Political Typology is the fourth, following on previous studies in 1987, 1994 and 1999. They are certainly due.
Back to their most recent, and some findings:
The proportion of independent voters or non-partisans is now at 37%, one of the highest levels in the past 20 years of Pew Research Center polling. The share of independent voters has grown from 34% of registered voters in 2008.
The Democratic Party?s advantage in party identification among registered voters has narrowed from a 10-point gap last year to a five-point gap in 2010 as Democrats have lost adherents and the Republican Party has gained supporters.
There has been little change in voting intentions over the course of the year. Registered voters have been closely divided in their preferences, while Republicans have enjoyed an advantage among voters most likely to cast a ballot in November.
As in previous midterms, older independents are more likely to vote Republican than are voters younger than 50, and independent men are much more inclined to cast a GOP ballot than they were four years ago.
Obama?s job approval rating among independent voters stands at just 39%; 50% disapprove of the president?s job performance. Still, Obama?s rating among independent voters is higher George W. Bush?s in September 2006 (29% approve/57% disapprove).
I hear or read all the time, about folks that say that Obama's numbers will turn around once the economy does. Thing is, these are the same folks that were saying that his numbers (and the underlying fate of the Democrats) would turn around once they passed the corporate healthcare reform this past Spring. Funny how that happens. Always wrong; always a reason to compromise one more time; never works.
Hillary Clinton Tea Party Black Panthers Bristol Palin Newt Gingrich
A Message from SarahPAC
I received the following letter in the mail from SarahPAC:Dear Ian,I'm writing today for two reasons. The first is to say thank you. Your recent $50 gift is helping take our message of pro-family, pro-America values across the nation before this November's crucial mid-term elections. I'm thankful that you care enough about this great country of ours to take action. Your support is proof that you are an American who won't let Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and other Obama liberals destroy this nation without a fight.Which leads me to the second reason I'm writing, Ian. Thursday, September 30th is the last day of the month. It's also a crucial Federal Election Commission (FEC) filing deadline. Why is this FEC report so important?Rightly or wrongly, both Republican and Democrat leaders, political pundits, candidates, and especially the national news media use it as a gauge to measure our strength as a political action committee.If we have what they consider a poor report, you can bet the biased news media, you can bet the biased news media will print a headline that says "Sarah Palin's Influence Running Out of Steam." But if our report shows we've raised more money than the left left-wing committees, folks will know we're a force to be reckoned with and the headline will read: "Sarah Palin Conservatives Running Obama Liberals Out of Town!"Ian, that's the headline I want to read. And you can make it happen with your continued support of SarahPAC today.Thanks to your generous $50, we have already been able to support more than 50 candidates across the nation who are running to overthrow the Pelosi-Reid liberals in Congress. Gov. Palin has visited North Carolina, South Carolina, Idaho, Nevada, Iowa, and other crucial states where conservatives are taking on entrenched Obama liberals. And in every state she visits, she sees more and more proof that Americans like you and me are fed-up with Obama's so-called "change." Ian, you've been a loyal supporter who has come through for SarahPAC in this critical election year. But with just five weeks left before the election, I need to report to Governor Palin that this next FEC filing will be our strongest one yet.Will you help me file the strongest possible FEC report I can by rushing me a contribution of $50 today? If you can send a larger gift - say $75 or $100 - now is the time to do it. Every dollar you can send will help put SarahPAC one step closer to filing the strongest FEC report possible and defeating more than 50 Obama liberals this November!Whatever amount you can send, the key is this: I need to receive your contribution before Thursday, September 30 so I can make sure it is processed, counted, and reported before the FEC deadline...And it's why I'm hoping I can count on you to stand with Governor Palin today as we prepare to file our strongest report ever.Thank you for helping us file the strongest FEC report possible...and for joining us as we fight to take back America to our constitutional roots!Sincerely,Tim CrawfordTreasurerSarah Palin's SarahPACIf you didn't get the letter with the postage-paid return envelope, you can just donate to SarahPAC here.
The View gubernatorial candidate Howard Dean ethics charges washington bureaucrats
Pray for Mittens
As this enormous yawn that was September draws to a close—anybody catch that God-awful season premiere of The Office?—it has become nearly impossible to deny that the teabaggers are on the cusp on something big in the November elections. Despite their public protestations to the opposite effect, I am quite certain the apparatchiks in the White House (i.e. the ones that haven’t already saluted the president before pole-vaulting to freedom), the courtiers in the speaker’s office, and the logo designers at the Democratic National Committee, have already procured their spirits and Bicycle playing cards for the long night that awaits them on Nov. 2.
For those of us who inhabit the out crowd—they have so many names: we’re everything but children of God—we must continue to lead the way whether the Democratic establishment appreciates it or not. In terms of electoral politics, 2010 is a lost cause and 2012 is the most relevant consideration—specifically the two people most likely to challenge our hopefully post-Obama nominee: Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor.
Let’s do Sarahcuda first. While I was never convinced Sarah Palin hurt John McCain’s electoral prospects in the final analysis, I do believe the erratic, poorly-considered decision spoke to McCain’s lack of judgment which is an entirely different matter. (Barack Obama was always most fortunate in the opponents he faced.) Having established that, I have always maintained that Sarah Palin is essentially Barack Obama without the benefit of an Ivy League pedigree, a reasonably high IQ, and more talented ghostwriters. They possess the same sort of charisma—markedly different from recent smooth operators like Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Ronald Reagan. These were self-effacing politicians who were sharp on their feet and could genuinely make you crack up. Dick Morris says he faced a recurring challenge in that Bubba was far more impressive extemporaneously than on the script. In those tumultuous 80s, Reagan’s foremost task was to spout killer witticisms in East Room press conferences while his minions ran wild. While W. had the ridiculous bit of business on the deck of that aircraft carrier, he also had the Bullhorn Speech under his Texas belt. Whatever one’s opinion of his miserable policies, incompetence, and larger stupidity, the Bullhorn Speech was an iconic moment in presidential rhetoric.
Sarah Palin and Barack Obama are charismatic only because of the attractive exuberance they possess. Their cults of personalities are products of modern identity politics. These are tabula rasas whose appeal transcend the normal workings of Politics for the cultural niches they represent. She is the hot, fecund Christian warrior woman; he the postracial black man on a fascinating journey of self-discovery.
For those of us who inhabit the out crowd—they have so many names: we’re everything but children of God—we must continue to lead the way whether the Democratic establishment appreciates it or not. In terms of electoral politics, 2010 is a lost cause and 2012 is the most relevant consideration—specifically the two people most likely to challenge our hopefully post-Obama nominee: Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor.
Let’s do Sarahcuda first. While I was never convinced Sarah Palin hurt John McCain’s electoral prospects in the final analysis, I do believe the erratic, poorly-considered decision spoke to McCain’s lack of judgment which is an entirely different matter. (Barack Obama was always most fortunate in the opponents he faced.) Having established that, I have always maintained that Sarah Palin is essentially Barack Obama without the benefit of an Ivy League pedigree, a reasonably high IQ, and more talented ghostwriters. They possess the same sort of charisma—markedly different from recent smooth operators like Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Ronald Reagan. These were self-effacing politicians who were sharp on their feet and could genuinely make you crack up. Dick Morris says he faced a recurring challenge in that Bubba was far more impressive extemporaneously than on the script. In those tumultuous 80s, Reagan’s foremost task was to spout killer witticisms in East Room press conferences while his minions ran wild. While W. had the ridiculous bit of business on the deck of that aircraft carrier, he also had the Bullhorn Speech under his Texas belt. Whatever one’s opinion of his miserable policies, incompetence, and larger stupidity, the Bullhorn Speech was an iconic moment in presidential rhetoric.
Sarah Palin and Barack Obama are charismatic only because of the attractive exuberance they possess. Their cults of personalities are products of modern identity politics. These are tabula rasas whose appeal transcend the normal workings of Politics for the cultural niches they represent. She is the hot, fecund Christian warrior woman; he the postracial black man on a fascinating journey of self-discovery.
Rush Limbaugh Hillary Clinton Tea Party Black Panthers Bristol Palin
Entertainment Tonight in Wasilla; UPDATED: Show to Air Monday Night
Apparently Entertainment Tonight is in Wasilla to do a feature on the Palins which, according to C4P reader "LT" will air tonight. Via ETonline:With "Dance Bristol Dance" signs posted all over her hometown of Wasilla, "Dancing with the Stars" contender Bristol Palin returned to Alaska with partner Mark Ballas to a huge rally spearheaded by mama grizzly Sarah Palin!"I was scared to death, because she's never done anything like this before," Sarah told ET of watching her daughter shake it on the dance floor for the world to see. "[She] played a lot of basketball, you know, ran track, ran cross-country, played football -- she's done all those things that a lot of Alaskan kids do, huntin' and fishin,' all that outdoorsy stuff -- but nothing this glamorous, so [it's a] whole new ballgame for us."Bristol took Mark to the "only dance studio in Wasilla" for rehearsal, and gave him a tour of her town along the way. "[My sister] Piper takes hip-hop class here, and ballet and jazz and tap dance, and she has for a long time, and our cousin takes dance lessons there," she said. She added that of all the outdoor activities she likes to do in Alaska, "I love snow-machining.""I've never been to Alaska before," said Mark. "This is my first Alaskan trip. I got my Alaska boots. I'm ready to rock and roll in Alaska. I'm going to find me a caribou and I want to see a bear. And a moose."More here. To see the trailer, go here.(h/t LT)Update: Governor Palin's appearance on Entertainment Tonight is scheduled for Monday, September 27, and not tonight as I incorrectly indicated above.
Obama DOJ On The Wrong Side Of Don't Ask, Don't Tell
"You don't need to be straight to fight and die for your country. You just need to shoot straight."
-1964 Republican presidential nominee & U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater
In what world would Republicans have a better gay rights record than that of a so-called progressive, Democratic presidential administration?
We are living in that world, 2010 America, and a GOP-allied group paid more than lip-service to the nation's gay community as the Democratic administration of President Barack Obama hemmed and hawed their way around an important GLBT issue.
Six years after first taking legal action to overturn the discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" military policy, the Log Cabin Republicans won a victory for gay Americans everywhere. United States District Court Judge Virginia A. Phillips ruled that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is unconstitutional.
-1964 Republican presidential nominee & U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater
In what world would Republicans have a better gay rights record than that of a so-called progressive, Democratic presidential administration?
We are living in that world, 2010 America, and a GOP-allied group paid more than lip-service to the nation's gay community as the Democratic administration of President Barack Obama hemmed and hawed their way around an important GLBT issue.
Six years after first taking legal action to overturn the discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" military policy, the Log Cabin Republicans won a victory for gay Americans everywhere. United States District Court Judge Virginia A. Phillips ruled that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is unconstitutional.
financial regulations Tony Hayward bill clinton Juan Williams racial controversy
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Third-party Bids, Write-ins Might Tip Close Races
WASHINGTON ? Whether they are sore losers or never-say-die patriots, third-party candidates threaten to tip a handful of congressional and gubernatorial races to contenders who otherwise might have lost this fall.
Nine-term Rep. Mike Castle of Delaware is the third prominent Republican to consider a third-party bid this year after a suffering a stinging setback at the hands of tea-party-backed conservatives.
If Castle decides to make an independent run for Senate, he will join Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski in refusing to let GOP primary voters force them into retirement.
While Crist, Murkowski and Castle are well-known politicians, many third-party campaigns are lonely, low-budget affairs with little hope of winning more than 2 or 3 percent of the vote. But in extremely tight races, that could be enough to swing the outcome between the Democratic and Republican nominees.
In several cases, Democrats hope to benefit from third-party campaigns by conservatives with tea party ties, who threaten to pull votes from the Republican nominees.
That's the hope of two hard-pressed House Democrats in Virginia, Tom Perriello and Glenn Nye. Their well-financed GOP opponents failed to persuade one or more of their unsuccessful Republican rivals from mounting independent campaigns, which conceivably could siphon away enough conservative votes to sink the GOP nominee.
Third-party candidates rarely win, but they're sometimes successful "in pulling the rug out from under the nominee" who defeated them in the party primary, said Ross K. Baker, a Rutgers University political scientist. "They're disgruntled primary losers, and they want revenge," he said.
Among the nation's most famous, or infamous, third-party efforts was Ralph Nader's 2000 presidential bid. He won enough liberal votes in Florida to keep Democrat Al Gore from carrying the state and becoming president.
Connecticut voters elected third-party candidates Lowell Weicker as governor and Joe Lieberman as senator, but few other Americans have matched their success.
This year's most visible third-party campaigns are being mounted by prominent Republicans who fell victim to tea party-backed candidates who labeled them as too accommodating to Democrats.
Crist left the Republican Party in April when it became clear that Marco Rubio, a tea party favorite, would win the party's Senate nomination. Republican officials hope Crist's independent campaign will pull about as many votes from Democrat Kendrick Meek as from Rubio. That probably would lead to a Rubio win, unless Crist can take huge numbers from both rivals.
More recently, Murkowski, who lost the Alaska GOP nomination to tea party favorite Joe Miller, has launched a write-in campaign to try to keep the seat she has held since 2002. Political insiders say the effort probably will fail, as has every Senate write-in campaign since 1954.
But it's hard to predict whether Murkowski would pull more votes from Miller or from Democrat Scott McAdams, leaving Miller's front-runner status slightly in doubt.
On Friday, top GOP officials were urging Castle to drop the notion of a write-in campaign after his stunning loss to insurgent conservative Christine O'Donnell in the Senate primary.
"I just think write-ins are long shots," said Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, head of the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee. "As chairman of a party committee, it is our responsibility to support the nominee, the choice of the primary voters, and that's what we're going to do."
Some third-party candidates are hurting Democrats as well. A Green Party candidate in Arkansas is likely to take votes from Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln, who is trailing Republican John Boozman in polls.
In House races, Republicans hope to benefit from a Hispanic independent candidate who might pull votes from Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Calif. In a Michigan race, a tea party candidate and a Green Party candidate might essentially cancel each other out in Democratic Rep. Mark Schauer's re-election battle against Republican Tim Walberg.
Third-party candidates also are affecting governors' races. In Colorado, Republicans say anti-immigrant crusader Tom Tancredo killed the party's already slim hopes in the open gubernatorial contest by running as an independent this fall.
In Massachusetts, independent Timothy Cahill vows to stay in the gubernatorial race despite the resignations of two top staffers. Some Republicans worry that he will hurt GOP challenger Charles Baker's effort to oust Gov. Deval Patrick, D.
In Minnesota, Tom Horner, a moderate former Republican, is running an impressive independent bid for the open governor's seat. He trails Democrat Mark Dayton and Republican Tom Emmer in polls, but both see Horner as a possible threat. Minnesotans elected independent Jesse Ventura as governor 12 years ago.
Texas Republican Gov. Rick Perry is favored to win re-election on Nov. 2, but supporters are keeping a wary eye on Libertarian candidate Kathie Glass. A strong showing by her might help Democrat Bill White.
Rhode Island's gubernatorial race features two prominent third-party candidates: independent Lincoln Chafee, a former GOP U.S. senator; and Moderate Party candidate Ken Block. The Republican nominee is John Robitaille, and the Democrat is Frank Caprio.
Elsewhere, long-shot third-party candidates conceivably could cause headaches for Republican Senate nominee Roy Blunt in Missouri and Sen. David Vitter, R-La.
Finally, the oddest of alternative choices could swing the intensely watched Senate race in Nevada, where Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is fighting for his political life against Republican Sharron Angle, a tea party favorite.
Nevada voters can choose "none of the above" on their ballots. Democrats think a number of voters who dislike Reid will find Angle too extreme and inexperienced, and they will choose "none of the above" to register their discontent.
If enough voters do so, it just might hand Reid a fifth term.
� Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
stimulus bill recession Rick Santorum Chris Dodd Sharron Angle
Saturday Open Thread
Our Organize4Palin (O4P) candidate of the day is Renee Ellmers, whom Governor Palin endorsed on August 18th. Click image to find out how you can help. ESPN: NCAA Football: Week 4 RankingsMike Kern: Alabama's first real test: ArkansasESPN: What to Watch in College Football, Week 4NFL.com: NFL Week 3 ScheduleSI: Packers' Matthews can no longer be ignoredFox News: Hard-Hitting Sports Hold Dangers for Teen AthletesThe Post: Bulldogs clinch 1st win in wake of tornado
Pray for Mittens
As this enormous yawn that was September draws to a close—anybody catch that God-awful season premiere of The Office?—it has become nearly impossible to deny that the teabaggers are on the cusp on something big in the November elections. Despite their public protestations to the opposite effect, I am quite certain the apparatchiks in the White House (i.e. the ones that haven’t already saluted the president before pole-vaulting to freedom), the courtiers in the speaker’s office, and the logo designers at the Democratic National Committee, have already procured their spirits and Bicycle playing cards for the long night that awaits them on Nov. 2.
For those of us who inhabit the out crowd—they have so many names: we’re everything but children of God—we must continue to lead the way whether the Democratic establishment appreciates it or not. In terms of electoral politics, 2010 is a lost cause and 2012 is the most relevant consideration—specifically the two people most likely to challenge our hopefully post-Obama nominee: Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor.
Let’s do Sarahcuda first. While I was never convinced Sarah Palin hurt John McCain’s electoral prospects in the final analysis, I do believe the erratic, poorly-considered decision spoke to McCain’s lack of judgment which is an entirely different matter. (Barack Obama was always most fortunate in the opponents he faced.) Having established that, I have always maintained that Sarah Palin is essentially Barack Obama without the benefit of an Ivy League pedigree, a reasonably high IQ, and more talented ghostwriters. They possess the same sort of charisma—markedly different from recent smooth operators like Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Ronald Reagan. These were self-effacing politicians who were sharp on their feet and could genuinely make you crack up. Dick Morris says he faced a recurring challenge in that Bubba was far more impressive extemporaneously than on the script. In those tumultuous 80s, Reagan’s foremost task was to spout killer witticisms in East Room press conferences while his minions ran wild. While W. had the ridiculous bit of business on the deck of that aircraft carrier, he also had the Bullhorn Speech under his Texas belt. Whatever one’s opinion of his miserable policies, incompetence, and larger stupidity, the Bullhorn Speech was an iconic moment in presidential rhetoric.
Sarah Palin and Barack Obama are charismatic only because of the attractive exuberance they possess. Their cults of personalities are products of modern identity politics. These are tabula rasas whose appeal transcend the normal workings of Politics for the cultural niches they represent. She is the hot, fecund Christian warrior woman; he the postracial black man on a fascinating journey of self-discovery.
For those of us who inhabit the out crowd—they have so many names: we’re everything but children of God—we must continue to lead the way whether the Democratic establishment appreciates it or not. In terms of electoral politics, 2010 is a lost cause and 2012 is the most relevant consideration—specifically the two people most likely to challenge our hopefully post-Obama nominee: Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor.
Let’s do Sarahcuda first. While I was never convinced Sarah Palin hurt John McCain’s electoral prospects in the final analysis, I do believe the erratic, poorly-considered decision spoke to McCain’s lack of judgment which is an entirely different matter. (Barack Obama was always most fortunate in the opponents he faced.) Having established that, I have always maintained that Sarah Palin is essentially Barack Obama without the benefit of an Ivy League pedigree, a reasonably high IQ, and more talented ghostwriters. They possess the same sort of charisma—markedly different from recent smooth operators like Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Ronald Reagan. These were self-effacing politicians who were sharp on their feet and could genuinely make you crack up. Dick Morris says he faced a recurring challenge in that Bubba was far more impressive extemporaneously than on the script. In those tumultuous 80s, Reagan’s foremost task was to spout killer witticisms in East Room press conferences while his minions ran wild. While W. had the ridiculous bit of business on the deck of that aircraft carrier, he also had the Bullhorn Speech under his Texas belt. Whatever one’s opinion of his miserable policies, incompetence, and larger stupidity, the Bullhorn Speech was an iconic moment in presidential rhetoric.
Sarah Palin and Barack Obama are charismatic only because of the attractive exuberance they possess. Their cults of personalities are products of modern identity politics. These are tabula rasas whose appeal transcend the normal workings of Politics for the cultural niches they represent. She is the hot, fecund Christian warrior woman; he the postracial black man on a fascinating journey of self-discovery.
George Will George Bush global warming Joe Biden Bush tax cuts
A Wary O'Donnell Tries to Repeat Her Magic in Del.
GEORGETOWN, Del. (AP) ? The only thing harder than shocking the political world with a come-from-nowhere victory is doing it again seven weeks later.Even many Republican loyalists think Christine O'Donnell, the tea party darling who capped a summer of primary upsets by wrestling a U.S. Senate nomination from a GOP icon in Delaware, faces a steeper climb on Nov. 2 than she did on Sept. 14.The man she beat then, nine-term congressman and former governor Michael Castle, was mulling a possible write-in candidacy Friday, a move that could pull some moderate Republicans' votes from O'Donnell, and possibly some independent votes from her Democratic opponent, Chris Coons. The head of the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee urged Castle not to run.Coons, 47, is a low-key county executive of Delaware's biggest county, and a man many had expected to lose to Castle in November. O'Donnell's primary victory scrambled that picture, giving Democrats strong hopes of keeping the Senate seat once held by Vice President Joe Biden. A recent CNN-Time poll showed Coons leading O'Donnell by 16 percentage points.To win, Democrats must contain the fiery, anti-establishment fervor that shifted O'Donnell from a perennial also-ran candidate into a nationally famous giant-killer. Besides overnight name recognition, she benefits from TV-friendly vibrancy and more than $2 million in campaign funds that poured in through the Internet after she beat Castle.Nonetheless, O'Donnell, 41, faces obstacles unknown to fellow tea party insurgents in, say, Alaska and Utah. She made a string of unusual comments during her years as a conservative TV guest - including speeches against masturbation and a claim of briefly dabbling in witchcraft - which she attributed to "teenage rebellion." The IRS placed a lien against her property this year for unpaid taxes, which she blamed on a government computer error.More problematic, O'Donnell is running in a Democratic-leaning state, where Barack Obama won 62 percent of the 2008 presidential vote. Even in a year of fired-up conservatives and demoralized Democrats, the Senate contest "still probably favors the Democrat," said Wayne Smith, a former leader of Delaware's House Republicans. "It's a blue state by a pretty significant margin."O'Donnell won 53 percent of the nearly 58,000 votes cast in the GOP primary. The November election will draw far more voters, many of them non-conservatives. In the last mid-term Senate election in 2006, nearly 243,000 people in Delaware voted. Democrat Tom Carper won easily.Gerald Johnston exemplifies O'Donnell's challenge. The 72-year-old DuPont company retiree was eating lunch at a small deli south of Wilmington this week, reading a newspaper article about allegations that O'Donnell used campaign funds to support herself.Johnston said he's a conservative who voted for O'Donnell in the primary. "But now I'm just starting to have a few reservations," he said.He said he wants to learn more about the campaign money allegations and O'Donnell's much-discussed TV remarks. If she can allay his concerns, he probably will vote for her again, Johnston said, adding that he's almost ready to oust "anyone who's been in there for any length of time."Because so many voters don't know O'Donnell, "she needs to make contact with people and actually meet people face-to-face," said Mary Spicer, president of the Delaware Federation of Republican Women.O'Donnell has attended a forum with Coons and a Republican picnic, among other post-primary events, but she is wary of the press and potentially unfriendly venues. She told Fox News she was "not going to do any more national media," but some Delaware reporters also have trouble covering her.On Wednesday, O'Donnell used a back entrance to avoid two reporters and two photographers ? one each from the Associated Press and CNN ? awaiting her arrival at the Sussex County Republican Women's luncheon, in Georgetown. She told the audience of about 90 that she was "a little disappointed" that reporters were present "because I wanted to talk candidly, and for some reason everything I'm saying is getting recorded and twisted."Her eight-minute speech covered familiar ground. O'Donnell said government tax and regulation policies should "get out of the way of the entrepreneur," and she called for permanent repeal of the inheritance tax.She said Bush-era tax cuts should be extended for all income groups, including taxpayers earning more than $250,000 a year. "The dry cleaner down the street who makes $300,000" should not see higher taxes, she said.The audience applauded politely. O'Donnell refused to take questions from a reporter when she finished shaking hands and, 90 minutes later, after she emerged from a small meeting with advisers.Coons readily talks with reporters, but has suffered his own campaign distractions. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., called him his "pet." Coons says he was being sarcastic when he labeled himself a "bearded Marxist" in a college newspaper article years ago.He lacks O'Donnell's sparkle, but he says he thinks voters will respond to his openness and his calls for more transparent and efficient government, including limits on Senate filibusters and "secret holds" on bills."Delawareans want to know you, meet you, ask you tough questions before they'll vote for you," Coons said. "This is a very centrist state that likes its elected officials to be fiscally conservative, responsive, rooted, tolerant and inclusive."Sussex County Republican Committee Chairman Ron Sams, who came to hear O'Donnell in Georgetown, echoed Coons in saying Delaware is a "moderate-type state."Will this year's tide of voter unrest and tea party enthusiasm push O'Donnell to victory?"I wish I had an answer for that," Sams said.
� Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Remarks by President Obama and Premier Wen Jiabao of China before Bilateral Meeting
11:27 A.M. EDT
PRESIDENT OBAMA: I want to welcome Premier Wen to the United States, and once again say what an outstanding partner he’s been over the last 21 months since I’ve been in office.
Along with President Hu, Premier Wen I think has exhibited extraordinary openness and cooperation with us as we try to strengthen the relationship between our two countries, a relationship that is based on cooperation, on mutual interest, on mutual respect.
We have worked together on a whole range of issues. Obviously one of the most important issues has been to deal with the financial crisis and the recession that traveled around the world over the last several years. In the G20 our cooperation I think has been absolutely critical.
I should probably actually let somebody translate now. (Laughter.)
Even as we’ve stabilized the world economy so that it is growing again and trade is growing again, we’ve also been working on a host of other issues that are of common interest.
For example, we’ve cooperated extensively on issues of nuclear nonproliferation, and we have also had very frank discussions and cooperated on issues of climate change.
Obviously we continue to have more work to do. On the economic front, although the world economy is now growing again, I think it’s going to be very important for us to have frank discussions and continue to do more work cooperatively in order to achieve the type of balance and sustained economic growth that is so important and that we both signed up for in the context of the G20 framework.
And we also I think have to work cooperatively together in order to achieve regional peace and stability, because the world looks to the relationship between China and the United States as a critical ingredient on a whole range of security issues around the world.
Fortunately, the Strategic and Economic Dialogue that we’ve set up provides an excellent forum for us to work through a range of bilateral as well as multilateral issues.
I have great confidence in the interest of both President Hu and Premier Wen to continue on the path of cooperation and mutually beneficial policies. I look forward to seeing them at the G20 and APEC this fall. And I’m looking forward hopefully to the possibility of President Hu visiting us for an official state visit sometime in the near future.
So, Premier Wen, to you and your delegation, welcome. And let me once again express on behalf of the American people our desire to continue to build a growing friendship and strong relationship between the peoples of China and the United States.
PREMIER WEN: (As translated.) It’s a great pleasure to meet President Obama and all our American friends here. I always believed that China-U.S. relationship has gone beyond the bilateral scope and has important influence internationally.
Our common interests far outweigh our differences. In spite of the disagreements of one kind or another between our two countries, I believe these differences can be well resolved through dialogue and cooperation. So the China-U.S. relationship will always forge ahead. I have confidence in this.
Just now you, Mr. President, referred to a host of areas where our two countries have cooperated, and I have come to the United States with such a cooperative spirit, too. Our two countries can have cooperation on a series of major international issues and regional hotspot issues. We have cooperation on tackling the financial crisis and meeting the climate challenge. China and the United States have also embraced an even closer and bigger relationship in the fields of pubic finance, financial industry and economic cooperation and trade.
I have come to this meeting with President Obama with a candid and constructive attitude. In the past couple of days here in my stay in New York I have been saying such a message far and wide -- that is, I’m sure I’m going to have a wonderful discussion with the President.
And I think our meeting today will also achieve the result that we will foster favorable conditions for the visit to the United States by President Hu Jintao at an appropriate time next year.
I want to thank you, Mr. President, for taking time.
END 11:39 A.M. EDT
PRESIDENT OBAMA: I want to welcome Premier Wen to the United States, and once again say what an outstanding partner he’s been over the last 21 months since I’ve been in office.
Along with President Hu, Premier Wen I think has exhibited extraordinary openness and cooperation with us as we try to strengthen the relationship between our two countries, a relationship that is based on cooperation, on mutual interest, on mutual respect.
We have worked together on a whole range of issues. Obviously one of the most important issues has been to deal with the financial crisis and the recession that traveled around the world over the last several years. In the G20 our cooperation I think has been absolutely critical.
I should probably actually let somebody translate now. (Laughter.)
Even as we’ve stabilized the world economy so that it is growing again and trade is growing again, we’ve also been working on a host of other issues that are of common interest.
For example, we’ve cooperated extensively on issues of nuclear nonproliferation, and we have also had very frank discussions and cooperated on issues of climate change.
Obviously we continue to have more work to do. On the economic front, although the world economy is now growing again, I think it’s going to be very important for us to have frank discussions and continue to do more work cooperatively in order to achieve the type of balance and sustained economic growth that is so important and that we both signed up for in the context of the G20 framework.
And we also I think have to work cooperatively together in order to achieve regional peace and stability, because the world looks to the relationship between China and the United States as a critical ingredient on a whole range of security issues around the world.
Fortunately, the Strategic and Economic Dialogue that we’ve set up provides an excellent forum for us to work through a range of bilateral as well as multilateral issues.
I have great confidence in the interest of both President Hu and Premier Wen to continue on the path of cooperation and mutually beneficial policies. I look forward to seeing them at the G20 and APEC this fall. And I’m looking forward hopefully to the possibility of President Hu visiting us for an official state visit sometime in the near future.
So, Premier Wen, to you and your delegation, welcome. And let me once again express on behalf of the American people our desire to continue to build a growing friendship and strong relationship between the peoples of China and the United States.
PREMIER WEN: (As translated.) It’s a great pleasure to meet President Obama and all our American friends here. I always believed that China-U.S. relationship has gone beyond the bilateral scope and has important influence internationally.
Our common interests far outweigh our differences. In spite of the disagreements of one kind or another between our two countries, I believe these differences can be well resolved through dialogue and cooperation. So the China-U.S. relationship will always forge ahead. I have confidence in this.
Just now you, Mr. President, referred to a host of areas where our two countries have cooperated, and I have come to the United States with such a cooperative spirit, too. Our two countries can have cooperation on a series of major international issues and regional hotspot issues. We have cooperation on tackling the financial crisis and meeting the climate challenge. China and the United States have also embraced an even closer and bigger relationship in the fields of pubic finance, financial industry and economic cooperation and trade.
I have come to this meeting with President Obama with a candid and constructive attitude. In the past couple of days here in my stay in New York I have been saying such a message far and wide -- that is, I’m sure I’m going to have a wonderful discussion with the President.
And I think our meeting today will also achieve the result that we will foster favorable conditions for the visit to the United States by President Hu Jintao at an appropriate time next year.
I want to thank you, Mr. President, for taking time.
END 11:39 A.M. EDT
gubernatorial candidate Howard Dean ethics charges washington bureaucrats John Kerry
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